Grand Junction Express: Monthly Newsletter for the Grand Junction Community {September 2026}

09/29/2026

Edition #6 – By: Dianne Callahan

A Bit of Grand Junction History: Grand Junction Depot

In the summer of 2014, a group of interested people got together to talk about the Grand Junction Depot Building. It was collapsing and Mayor Lane was concerned! Saplings were growing through the roof and parts of the foundation timbers were rotted. What was to be done with it? It was becoming an eyesore, but yet, it’s the only surviving Depot building in Hardeman County.

This group of people decided that it was indeed worth saving. The trains and railroads are so much a part of the history of Grand Junction. It was named as such because it was the cross meeting place of the Mississippi Central Railroad and the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. It was sought after during the War Between the States by both the North and South because of its strategic location. It boomed during Reconstruction, while others faltered. The first Bird Dog field trials were held by gentlemen from Memphis stepping off the train and being met by the Ames wagons to proceed to the Plantation for hunting. A young man named Thomas Edison was a telegraph operator at Grand Junction. The town was famous around the turn of the 20th century for its pottery. The trains shipped it all over the country! People regularly rode the trains to Memphis for shopping.

The Depot should be a place to celebrate all of this history! A vision, a mission and a nonprofit organization were formed. It is called the Grand Junction Depot Museum Corporation.

By 2015, the State of Tennessee had approved a charter for this corporation and the board members were: Kathy Ledbetter, Scott Ledbetter, Earl Smith, Jamie Evans, Lou Kerns, Ken Savage, Cissye Pierce, Rex Brotherton and Gerald Wade. These board members raised the money to start with the initial phase of restoring the Depot.

By 2018, the roof, floors, and foundation timbers had been restored and the Depot was in the dry! After several more years, the windows were repaired and paint was applied. A Depot sign was added. The Hess family then deeded more land to the corporation. New board members were added: Jonathon Harris, Angela Krannichfeld, and Ransom Crenshaw.

The next phase of this exciting restoration project is ready to begin, and we want you to be a part of it! Together, we can make the Depot a place that all of Grand Junction and Hardeman County can be proud of, a place where our history is preserved and future generations can experience the charm of days gone by.

We invite you to join us at the Crafts Fair on October 10 at the Laffayette Gin in Grand Junction, where we will share more about this important project and raise funds to support the restoration. As part of the event, you will receive a free ticket for admission inside the Depot, giving you a special opportunity to see its character and charm for yourself. Every contribution, large or small, is greatly appreciated and will help us move this project forward. Donations may be sent to Grand Junction Depot Museum Corporation, P.O. Box 353, Grand Junction, TN 38039. More progress is on the way, and we invite and encourage you to be a vital part of bringing the Grand Junction Depot back to life!

Happening Now in Grand Junction:

Politics…We have our mayoral election November 3, 2026.

We saw our community spirit in action last Tuesday when mayoral candidate Isiah Hunt hosted a Meet & Greet at the Wilder Community Center. He served hot dogs, burgers, and drinks and spent time visiting with our citizens and answering their questions. It was another opportunity for neighbors to come together and get to know one another a little better.

On Thursday, October 29, our City Hall is sponsoring a Candidate Meet & Greet at the Wilder Center at 6:00pm. Come one and come all to meet all the candidates, hear their plans for Grand Junction and ask any questions that will help us decide who the best person is to move our town forward!

Various Activities Coming Up:

Good Girls Club is always thinking of ways to help our community. They have an event planned to honor survivors, remember loved ones and support families affected by breast cancer and domestic violence. Put Saturday, October 17 on your calendar, beginning at 1:00pm at Sand Beach Lake in Bolivar for the event. They are inviting all kids and teenagers to take part in a talent show that features singing, dancing, acting, art, instrument playing, and all acts that showcase the great abilities of our youth. T-shirts for the event are available until October 10. Contact Lawanda Young at 731-609-6757 with any questions.

The Grand Junction Ruritan Club has just begun a new community service. They are welcoming new residents with a bag of info on the area. They are taking on the role of the unofficial “Welcome Wagon”. Let them know if there is anything you want to share or include.

Our last Bingo Night of 2026 will be held Friday, October 2, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at the Wilder Center. It is so exciting that for our September Bingo night, quite a few young people showed up and that was great! It was wonderful to see different generations enjoying the evening and having fun together.

Pumpkin Decorating Contest… City Hall will be accepting entries through Friday, October 23. Get creative and show us what you can do. (No carved pumpkins please because they rot and nobody wants that!) Grand prize is a grand gift basket. Show out with your creative self!

Trunk or Treat at our City Park on Saturday, October 31, from 11:00am–4:00pm is shaping up to be a spooky and fun-filled day! Even if you don’t decorate a trunk or table, you can help by donating candy at City Hall. Our little ones look forward to dressing up in their costumes and enjoying this special day, so let’s make sure we have plenty of treats for them!

Grand Junction Public Library – It’s not too early to think about sponsoring a tree at this year’s annual Winter Wonderland. It is free to decorate a tree and get your name, your church’s name or your group’s name in lights! You can pick your tree at the Library in October and decorating will start in November. Library is at 530 Madison Ave. W. Last year, we had 26 decorated trees. They were beautiful!

Click here to read last month’s edition of the Grand Junction Express.

Read more local news by clicking here.

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